A flat light-emitting means can be circular, triangular, rectangular or else in the form of a polygon, for example. Furthermore, a freeform which can protrude out of the plane, for example, by virtue of it being possible for said freeform to be formed in 3D, in particular to be corrugated, for example, is also possible. The flat light-emitting means has a small thickness, for example a thickness of 2 cm, with the result that the flat light-emitting means has as low a height as possible. A flat light-emitting means is therefore substantially plate-shaped, and is formed from various elements or layers which are arranged stacked one on top of the other. The emission of the light output by the light-emitting means takes place over at least one subregion of an upper and/or lower side of the flat light-emitting means. An emission of the light output by the flat light-emitting means can also take place over one or more side surfaces of the flat light-emitting means, which side surfaces are arranged perpendicular to the upper and lower sides of the flat light-emitting means. If the flat light-emitting means is circular, the light-emitting means has a side surface which extends around the circumferential surface of the light-emitting means. If the flat light-emitting means is triangular, rectangular or in the form of a polygon, the light-emitting means has more than one side surface.
In order to form a light-emitting element which can be arranged in a lamp, for example, the flat light-emitting means is arranged in a housing, which can also be referred to as a fitting. The light-emitting means is fixed in the housing, which is generally performed using the upper and/or lower side of the light-emitting means, as a result of which that region of the upper and/or lower side of the light-emitting means over which light output by the light-emitting means can be emitted is limited since part of the upper and/or lower side is covered by the fixing of the light-emitting means in the housing.
In order to form an electrical contact, it is further known that in each case one contact element, for example in the form of a printed circuit board or an electrically conductive metal strip, is arranged on at least two subregions of the lower side and/or upper side of the light-emitting means. In the region of the lower and/or upper side, for example, in each case one cable is soldered to the contact elements or the contact elements are inserted into female connectors arranged independently of the housing or contact is made with said contact elements via pins, for example.
The cables, pins and female connectors require additional installation space within the light-emitting element, as a result of which the dimensions of the light-emitting element are increased in size.
Owing to the fixing of the light-emitting means in the housing by the upper and/or lower side of said light-emitting means and owing to the electrical contact with the light-emitting means to be formed independently of the housing, likewise over the upper and/or lower side of said light-emitting means, a conventional light-emitting element has a complicated back end process in its manufacture.